Full Breakdown
Omaha Schools Halt Shock-Glove Use by Police
8/22/2026, 11:49:32 AM
Core Decision and Immediate Impact
Omaha Public Schools Superintendent Matthew Ray sent letters to Mayor John Ewing Jr. and Police Chief Todd Schmaderer requesting that school-resource officers (SROs) stop carrying the Generated Low Output Voltage Emitter (G.L.O.V.E.) electric-shock gloves on OPS campuses. The Omaha Police Department (OPD) said it would comply and remove the gloves from its officers assigned to OPS schools. The Bellevue Police Department, which also provides SROs to two OPS schools, will continue to carry the devices. The decision follows a heated board meeting in which roughly 30 community members voiced opposition.
Background & Context
The controversy intensified after an Associated Press investigation revealed that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) plans to purchase the gloves for its agents. Omaha’s city council approved the purchase of 40 gloves for about $66,000 on June 3 2025. The devices, marketed by Compliant Technologies, have been used in some jails and by the Bellevue Police Department for several years. Prior to the OPS request, OPD had trained 29 of its 34 SROs to operate the gloves.
Data & Statistics
- 34 OPD SROs; 29 trained on G.L.O.V.E.
- Gloves were deployed twice during the 2025-2026 school year: once at Omaha South High School to stop a trespassing student, and once at the Integrated Learning Program to subdue a student who threatened a security guard.
- OPS serves more than 50,000 students across 87 schools.
- The city’s 2025 contract covered 40 gloves for $66,000.
Official Statements & Responses
OPS officials described continued glove use as “counterproductive to our work together” and emphasized the district’s priority of student safety. Mayor John Ewing said, “OPS was given the option to opt out, and we honored that.”
Criticism & Opposition
Parents, students, and board members expressed strong disapproval. Advocacy groups called for an independent investigation and a moratorium on the technology.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Superintendent Ray told the board he only learned of the gloves “the previous week,” yet KETV obtained emails dated Jan. 24 2023 showing that an Omaha police lieutenant had notified multiple districts—including OPS—about the upcoming equipment. The OPS school-safety supervisor acknowledged awareness of the gloves on the email chain, while Ray later said the district’s leadership had not been fully briefed. OPD confirmed glove use in OPS schools; Bellevue, Millard, Elkhorn and Westside districts reported no incidents, leaving uncertainty about broader deployment.
Verbatim Quotes
- “I can’t even imagine walking down the hallway and seeing a peer of mine being electrocuted in a place that is supposed to be a safe space for students,” — Nora Wessel, senior, Omaha Central High School
- “If there was a vote tonight on the use of these gloves and the use of force with tasers, with OC spray, with batons, I would vote absolutely not,” — Bri Full
- “Our schools need safety solutions that prevent crisis, not simply more tools to respond after a crisis has already occurred,” — Kathy Poehling, president, Omaha Education Association
